


The Different Faces of Gregminster

by Team_Two_Cats



Series: Suikovember 2020 [6]
Category: Suikoden I, Suikoden III, Suikoden Series (Video Games)
Genre: But we're all picturing the codpieces, Gift Giving, M/M, Shopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:08:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27669331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Team_Two_Cats/pseuds/Team_Two_Cats
Summary: Suikovember 2020 day 22 prompt: ShoppingLilly is Hugo's guide in Gregminster for political negotiations a few years after the events of the Second Fire Bringer War. Her plan involves a lot of dressing Hugo up in ridiculous outfits, but Hugo manages to sneak away and accidentally falls in with a much different guide, who shows him a much different face of the city.
Relationships: Hugo (Suikoden III)/Caesar Silverberg
Series: Suikovember 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019115
Kudos: 2





	The Different Faces of Gregminster

“We have _got_ to get you a feathered hat!” Lilly says, running ahead to the storefronts and their wide windows.

Hugo purses his lips. When he agreed to accompany her to Gregminster, he had assumed that the trip would be largely political. Not…an excuse to hit up the nicest stores. He sighs, kicking himself for not insisting that Caesar join him. Having a Silverberg around (as well as his boyfriend) might have helped to smooth things over as well as given him a better guide than…

“They have codpieces!” Lilly shrieks, and Hugo winces.

“I won’t tell if you want to…slip away,” Samus says, and Hugo gives a small start. “I mean, we can tell her that we saw you headed toward the castle. Should buy you an hour at least.”

“If you don’t, you’ll be spending that time trying on codpieces,” Reed adds.

Hugo grimaces, then nods. “Thanks,” he says, and calmly takes a step back as the two men move around him, blocking him from Lilly’s view. With skills honed in the wide reaches of the Grasslands, losing himself in a city without being seen is hardly a challenge.

He misses home. He shouldn’t admit to it, but he misses knowing everyone around him. Sgt. Joe and Fubar and Thomas and all the others. With friends constantly dropping in, and always an excuse to go out on a hunt, or watch a play. Not that he hasn’t enjoyed his time with Lilly, after a fashion. And seeing the Toran Republic has been wonderful. It’s just…

“You look lost,” comes a voice, and Hugo realizes he hadn’t been paying attention to where he was going. Just…walking to walk.

He looks up and sees a tall woman in a blue dress. Her brown hair falls straight around a face that looks neither kind nor mean. Flat, brown eyes regard him.

“I…I mean, I guess you can say that,” Hugo says. It’s obvious that he’s an outsider. His skin color, his clothes, even with the refinements he’s made over the years, the nicer vest, and more form fitting pants, he must look like all the stories of Grasslanders people in the big cities must have heard. “I’m here on business.”

“You…remind me of that boy,” the woman says. “I see…they are still getting children to fight wars.”

Hugo feels a chill go up his back and he still his hand before it can reach for his blade. Caesar would be proud of his restraint. “Wars don’t often choose people to fight.”

She smiles with absolutely no humor in it. “Like I said, you’re young. When you’re older, maybe you’ll see…wars are always choosing people to fight. It’s just that most people don’t realize they can refuse. Can run.”

“Maybe people don’t want to lose their homes,” Hugo says, more heat in his voice than he expected. “Maybe they reach a point where if they don’t fight, they stand to lose a lot more. Maybe—”

“Okay,” she says, holding up a hand. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I speak before I think. You…aren’t him, anyway. You’re you. Hello. A pleasure to meet you. My name is Sarah. I work in the inn here.”

She motions to the building behind her and Hugo sees it’s a large, bustling building.

“Though Marie will be upset with me for harassing someone who might be a customer.”

“That’s…okay” He doesn’t really know what to think now. His anger, as quickly as it flared, seems to fade away.

“I know,” Sarah says. “Why don’t I buy you a treat? If you’re new here, maybe you don’t know the best places to eat. And I didn’t stuff a towel down a rude man’s throat earlier, so I think I deserve something nice.”

Hugo stares at her. A moment ago she was talking about war, about choices, and now…food. But his stomach grumbles, and it’s true that he hasn’t eaten anything in a while. He frowns, then nods.

“Yeah,” he says, “why not.”

It’s not like he has a firm schedule. Yes, he’s supposed to meet with some leaders, but that was blocked out much later, and he suspects it’s because Lilly had secretly planned to spend the entire time shopping. Sarah leads him away from the main shops, though, and to a part of the city where the houses are a bit smaller, the shops replaced by street vendors. Hugo smiles, the sight reminding him of home, the merchants selling to people walking by rather than holed up inside labyrinthine stores.

He browses as they walk, and Sarah doesn’t hurry him. Instead, she talks about what he’s seeing, saying this or that is a fire ruby from Seek Valley, and this other is an emerald from Obel. Fake, that one. Hugo smiles as she berates the merchant for trying to pass off an obvious fake, and in the aftermath Hugo gets the ruby for an excellent price. It nearly shines with the heat of dragon fire, and Hugo can’t help but think of Caesar, so far away now. A gift, then, for his red-haired boyfriend. And in the meantime, a reminder.

They get a frozen treat called ice creams, and Hugo’s eyes go huge when he tastes the sweetness. Even better than soda! He eats too fast, though, and Sarah explains what exactly a brain freeze is. Damn painful is what.

They pass a little house and a woman comes out and greets them. In her thirties, she’s dressed in bright oranges and carries around a grumpy-looking cat.

“Can you believe her?” the woman says. “I just brought Mina back from the lake castle! I can’t even figure out how she got there, but I got word that she was spotted and sure enough!”

“It’s in her blood,” Sarah says. “She must have been raised on stories from the first Mina. You must forgive her, Lotte. Even you went out and had your adventures.”

“She was gone two months!”

“And now she’s home,” Sarah says, and she guides Hugo away, to more vendors. They stop at a huge house and Sarah knocks at the side door. A older, blond man answers, sees Sarah, and disappears back inside, to return a moment later with two bowls.

“The young master sends his regards,” the man says.

“You just keep him out of trouble, Gremio,” she says.

The man laughs. “I might be getting older, but I’ll be in the grave before he manages any mischief with me around!”

And the man hurries back inside. Hugo smiles, feeling like he’s seeing a side of the city that few people get the chance to. Certainly not what a tourist sees when they come to the city. This Gregminster is…kind, almost. Small, almost. Intimate in ways he never would have thought. He wonders if Vinay del Zexay would seem the same way, if someone like Louis showed him around. If he could see the buildings and not remember all the hurt, all the loss.

“You don’t like the soup?” Sarah asks.

Hugo starts, then shakes his head and takes a slurp of soup. It’s amazing! Maybe the best thing he’s tried, the warmth and the spice perfect balanced with the vegetables and other ingredients. Hugo eats the soup quickly, and sighs contentedly.

“The best in the city,” Sarah says, then takes his empty bowl and puts it, along with her own, near the door. They move on.

For a long time they don’t talk, and Hugo enjoys the change from being around Lilly. Not that she’s terrible, but sometimes he appreciates a bit of quiet. But then they’re back at the inn, and Hugo notices that the sun has moved. It’s much later than he thought it was. His meetings would be coming up.

“Sorry again about accosting you at first,” Sarah says. “I…have some issues around war and children.”

Hugo just nods, doesn’t press. She’s been kind. “If it helps, I don’t plan on fighting in any wars any time soon.”

Her smile this time is just…sad. “Good luck, then,” she says, and turns to enter the inn.

“Thanks for everything!” Hugo says, and waves, refusing to let their parting be something sad. She looks back, and finally a bit of warmth seems to reach her face, just as she steps through the door and is lost from sight. Hugo turns back to Gregminster. He’s really not sure where to go, but at the moment he doesn’t let himself worry about it. He pulls out his dragon ruby and holds it up to the light, and thinks of—

“There you are!” Hugo nearly loses his feet as Lilly barrels into him. “Where have you been?! You missed _all the shopping_! I had to have Reed and Samus try on codpieces instead and that’s _not_ as fun. Where have you been?”

Hugo opens his mouth to answer but a squeal cut him off. She’s seen the ruby in his hand, tastefully set into a pin.

“You disappeared…to buy me a special gift?! Oh, _Hugo!_ It’s so kind. And of course it goes great with my hair. Just the perfect thing!”

She reaches for it, and he almost doesn’t pull it away in time. “Hey, that’s not—”

And Reed and Samus finally catch up and pull them apart, one of Lilly’s hands pulling at Hugo’s hair while the other still tries to grab the pin. Hugo groans inwardly. So much for a peaceful day shopping.

**Author's Note:**

> Sarah is such an interesting character. She's so random in the first game and her cameo in the second is fascinating. Here she once more is a bit all over the place, but shows a good heart. Also, I love Lilly and Hugo's dynamic here. Not romantic, but like Lilly is a really annoying older sister. Just gold.


End file.
